About World Press Freedom Day

Every year May 3rd is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

3 May was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991.

It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom - a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world publications are censored fined suspended closed down while journalists editors publishers are harassed attacked detained even murdered.

It is a date to encourage develop initiatives in favour of press freedom to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

It serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition of press freedom It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.